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The Right to Reparations

April 19, 2013

Download the full Right to Reparations Factsheet

The right of victims of armed conﬂict to receive reparation is well established under international law. A basic concept of our domestic and international justice systems is that victims of harm have a right to a remedy. Reparations are a critical avenue for providing remedies to victims of gross violations of international human rights law or humanitarian law.

On the tenth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI), Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW), and the Federation of Workers Councils and Unions in Iraq (FWCUI) launched the Right to Heal Initiative. Iraqis and veterans are coming together to hold the U.S. government accountable for the lasting effects of war and the rights of veterans and civilians to heal. Represented by the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), on March 19, 2013, IVAW, OWFI and FWCUI submitted a request for a thematic hearing with the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights, where they are seeking an opportunity to present evidence and testimony in Fall 2013.